


Big Girls Don't Cry

by LinRiverSongBeifong



Series: Fraxus Family One-Shots [5]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: DaddyFreed, Justine-Dreyar Family, M/M, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), PapaLaxus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-25 10:13:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6190939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinRiverSongBeifong/pseuds/LinRiverSongBeifong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A Dreyar shouldn't cry and that's exactly what I'm doing." She shot back with a sort of bitterness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Girls Don't Cry

**Author's Note:**

> Requests are welcomed!!!

Elizabeth was only thirteen when her great grandfather passed away.

The ceremony had been small. Long time members of the guild had been present. Erza and Jella kept close to their son Simon while Loke was trying to console both a crying Lucy and a sobbing Skylar.

However, Laxus and his daughter had yet to shed a single tear. Both Dreyars too proud.

So when they got home it was quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the rain flowing through their gutter.s

"I'll make something warm to drink." Freed offered softly. He gave Laxus a soft kiss on the lips while he caressed Elizabeth's cheek.

Their daughter had not said a single word all morning. So it was painful to hear her first words of the day coming from a voice that didn't sound at all like hers.

"I'll be in my room, Papa." She whispered brokenly.

Laxus could only stand there numbed as he watched his daughter walk up the stairs and disappear into the hallway.

Slowly, he walked away from the front door to reach the kitchen where he knew Freed would be.

Standing in front of the sink, Freed was clutching at the counter. His shoulders shaking and his face wet from tears. He was able to hold back his sobs by biting his lip almost violently. Without a second thought, Laxus rushed to his mate's side wrapping his strong arms around the smaller man. Laxus still couldn't bring himself to cry.

"Now shush, my love." Laxus whispered soothingly.

Freed was able to calm down a bit to the point where he would be able to turn around in Laxus' arms. Resting his head on the familiar chest he felt Laxus' thumb brush against his bitten lip.

"The old man wouldn't want anyone to shed tears." Laxus added lastly.

The Rune Mage knew that was true so he fought back the onslaught of new tears and focused on Laxus' heartbeat.

"He was grandfather…" Freed finally said. His voice rough from the earlier crying.

Laxus tightened his hold on his mate as a response.

Then he heard something. It was the softest of sounds but unmistakable.

A small whimper was heard on the second floor. Bless Laxus' enhanced scenes because Freed would have over reactedat the sound

Letting go of his mate reluctantly he gave him a lingering kiss. "It will be alright." He said against Freed's slightly parted lips.

The shine of Freed's eyes was noticeable, but the look of acceptance over shined it.

"Go and check up on our daughter." He asked. Freed must at least sense something was wrong with their little dragon.

Laxus nodded his head and was soon out of the kitchen. As he walked up the stairs the sound of whimpering grew louder. With that a pain in his chest was making itself known.

When he made it to the last step of the stairs he looked down the dark hallway and saw only one door opened. Soft natural light escaping through the small crack left between door and frame.

Walking forward, he stood frozen at his daughter's door. The sounds she was making the worse form of torture Laxus had ever experience.

Suddenly, Laxus could feel a burning at the back of his eyes. Blinking it away he reached for the door knob.

He opened it as slowly as possible hoping that the hinges wouldn't creek, but to no avail.

By the time the door was completely open, Elizabeth had her head up showcasing red blood shot eyes and wet cheeks.

"Papa?" She asked weakly.

Laxus could only stand there and watch as his daughter began slowly falling apart.

When the girl noted that she wasn't going to have a response she let her head fall and with it came fresh tears. "I'm sorry, Papa." She offered softly.

At that Laxus was able to walk forward and kneel before his little dragon.

Reaching out, he stroked to top of her head. Her soft golden curls damp from the rain.

"What are you sorry for Lizzy?" He asked in a delicate tone. The burning at the back of his eyes was getting worse and he couldn't see properly. Everything was sort of blurred.

"A Dreyar shouldn't cry and that's exactly what I'm doing." She shot back with a sort of bitterness. However, that didn't stop her silent sob.

Laxus was put under a stunned silence. His chest contacted and his cheeks grew suddenly wet.

With a much more demanding tone, he said. "Elizabeth, look at me."

For a moment she didn't do it and Laxus had to repeat himself. It was near impossible to do so with how tight his throat had become.

When Elizabeth's dark blue orbs met her father's fiery orange ones everything seemed to click into place for her.

Her walls came crashing down and she whispered, "Gramps' gone…" When those words sunk in both father and daughter broke fully for the first time. Elizabeth threw herself at her Papa in dire need of comfort. She wept into the crook of his neck desperately trying to catch her breath.

"I-I want h-him to come ba-back!" She demanded.

"Papa! Bring hi-him back!" She begged. She was shaking violently at this point. The grief she was feeling too much for her little body to handle.

Laxus was in no better state. He held his daughter as tightly as he was allowed. The tears falling from his eyes hitting the carpet floor and leaving wet spots.

Fuck, how his chest hurt. It felt like a bolder was just sitting right on top of it pressing out every last particle of oxygen from his body.

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. All he knew was that he was crying, in pain, and the worse possible person to comfort his weeping daughter.

"It's going to be okay, baby." He tried to sooth.

"Don't be sad that he's gone, be happy that he was alive and was able to do the things he did."

He pulled away from his daughter and looked deeply in her eyes. Both were a crying mess, but Elizabeth saw something almost heroic. A man as strong and feared like her Papa was letting tears out. He was allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of her. It was true that a Dreyar didn't cry, but with the people you love you let everything out. You let them pick up the pieces and put you back together.

Elizabeth may only be thirteen, but she knew that for certain.

"Am I ever going to see him again?" She asked quietly. Her eyes shining with hope.

Laxus reached up to wipe away her tears when he said, "Yes, but not for a very, very long time little one." He said back with a fire in his voice that could rival Salamander's magic.

At that Elizabeth's body grew weak. She rested heavily on her father who just scooped her up with ease.

Her tears were still flowing and the small whimpers coming from her lips were still heart wrenching, but she had calmed.

Laxus was able to wipe away at his own years enough to reach his daughter's door.

"Where are we going Papa?"

"You're going to sleep with me and your father tonight. I don't want you alone." He told her softly. Turning his head, he pressed a kiss to her closed eyes. The taste of her tears lingering on his lips.

_The pain will go away_. He told himself.

"And Elizabeth, don't ever think a Dreyar doesn't cry."

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to think that Elizabeth beats herself up thinking that she isn't enough for her parents who are both S Class wizards and Masters of the Guild. I have this idea that she feels like she needs to always be strong.


End file.
